5 Times Kate Middleton Proved Herself a Style Icon

Hundreds of years ago, the royal family and their court would be the ones leading the fashion of the times — what they wore, we wanted to wear. We copied and mimicked and tried to achieve for ourselves "what the royals wore" in whatever way possible (and most of the time, it wasn't possible — unless you were a royal too, of course, and could afford it). They set the trends. They set the styles. They set the laws and made the political decisions. Oh, what a world.

It's no surprise that this was the case, given that acquiring fashion inspiration from celebrities seems to be human nature — from actors to musicians to the generally wealthy. But with the increase in celebrities across the genres and fields of famedom, the weight of the royals' fashion influence has somewhat faded into the past. Not to mention that through the 20th century, the royal family tended to opt for a more conservative code of dress (or in other words, a more boring one). Until Princess Diana wowed us all in the 80s with her youthful, bright, graceful sense of fashion (that was one of her many beautiful qualities), of course.

These days, Kate Middleton is following in her deceased mother-in-law's footsteps, and is royally inspiring us all again with her elegant yet youthful style that is perfectly suited for the Duchess of Cambridge (one I think we can all agree that Princess Diana would be profoundly proud of). No matter what event Kate attends, no matter what state she's in (whether preggo or not), she manages to dress appropriately and effortlessly for the many roles she plays. Kate uses fashion as one should — to flawlessly expresses the self through the style. So without further ado, let's have a look at five different reasons why Kate (Catherine) Middleton is the Duchess of Perfection when it comes to apparel:

SHE KEEPS IT ELEGANT

Last month at the London Royal Variety Performance fundraiser, Kate Middleton rolled out on the red carpet wearing an absolutely stunning Diane von Furstenberg floor-length, black lace gown, totally channeling Adele and Morticia Addams. With a tightly-fitted bodice, full skirt, high neckline (yet slightly deeper V in the back), and long, flirty lace sleeves, the Duchess manages to look youthful and sexy, yet mature and elegant. Well done, Kate. Well done.

SHE ALWAYS KEEPS IT BRITISH

Because Kate Middleton is the Duchess of Cambridge, after all, she manages to pay tribute to her royal role by subtly and cleverly following the British "Royal Rules of Fashion" (and yes, they're totally a thing). She keeps her skirts and dresses to an appropriate length, usually just at the knee. She tends to always wear some type of sleeve (since showing too much arm just isn't proper, you see), and when she doesn't, she compensates with a high neckline (you know, to keep the skin-revealing ratio balanced). Her hair is usually in a royally-inspired updo of some sort, and when it is loose, it still manages to look perfectly curled and styled (and never unruly). Kate also tends to wear fitted jackets and elegant coats with her outfits, and is always sure to accompany her ensembles with the traditional British hat or fascinator. Jolly good form, Kate.

SHES NOT AFRAID TO HAVE FUN

Although Kate may follow the "Royal Rules of Fashion," she still manages to let down her hair once in a while and have some fun. She expresses her playful energy when she wears things like flowers crowns, hula skirts, flower necklaces, and bold, fun and playful patterns. Girls just wanna have fun, after all.

SHE MAKES SUBTLE SOCIOPOLITICAL STATEMENTS

The Royals make a lot of trips around the world, and since both William and Kate represent the present (and future) British monarchy, their presence is always one held in high respect and regard. That's why Kate's ability to subtly make sociopolitical statements of support through her fashion is so brilliant. Whenever Kate visits a foreign country, she always comes prepared. For instance, during a visit to Canada, Kate sported a red maple leaf hat (worn slanted on the head true to British style) and a white fitted dress, finished off with a silver maple leaf brooch. Dressed in the Canadian colors with the Canadian symbol cleverly incorporated, Kate managed to show her support and appreciation to the country she was visiting with an outfit alone. Now that is the way a girl represents.

SHE CHEATS THE SYSTEM

Although I'm sure that the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge had an abundance of maternity clothing at her disposal, Kate still cleverly managed to cheat the system and chose to dress for her pregnancy with intelligence and grace (sans maternity wear). While pregnant, Kate dressed like a glowing, youthful mother, opting for loose-fitting shift dresses, flowing swing dresses, full-skirted A-line dresses and fun (yet classic) patterns (how very not Kim Kardashian). These allowed for her belly to be shown subtly, without having to go the maternity-wear route. Way to cheat the system, Kate. You're doing it right. And you look stunning doing it.

Images: Twitter